Rachael Stirling, the daughter of late actress Dame Diana Rigg, has said her mother would be 'proud' of proposed changes to Scottish law that would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill patients. The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Patients (Scotland) Bill, lodged at Holyrood on March 27, would allow adults with incurable illnesses to seek a lethal dose of drugs from their GP.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, an emotional Stirling said her mother, who died of cancer in 2020 at age 82, had been a vocal advocate for assisted dying. Before her death, Dame Diana recorded a statement calling for individuals to be given 'true agency over their bodies at the end of life'. Stirling said her mother would be 'really proud' of the Scottish Bill and her impact on 'starting a national conversation'.
Stirling, 46, described the two months she cared for her mother before her death as 'pretty tough', but said they faced it 'with fortitude and laughter and joy and Camparis'. She acknowledged the complexity of the issue, saying: 'Would I not have those two months when I was caring for her? Obviously her wishes are first and foremost but I loved having her for those two months.'
Dame Diana, best known for her roles in The Avengers and Game of Thrones, had revealed in her final weeks that she had lost control of her bowels, describing it as 'dehumanising'. She noted that some palliative patients starve themselves to regain control, saying: 'It's not that they want to die that way. It's how they take control.'
Assisted dying remains illegal across the UK, but the issue is currently under review by a Parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee inquiry. The proposed Scottish Bill argues that individuals should have personal autonomy over their medical care and be able to choose 'safe and compassionate assisted dying' rather than face a prolonged, painful death.
